The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-03
FlSH-HoOK MAKING.
Something About the History of the
Business-Iand-W Work suppressed
ed by Machinery.

The sportsman and the schoolboy are
alike in one thing, If not in another,
says The Brooklyn Eagle. and that is
that they share equally the delightful
pleasures found in the fishing rod and
hook. But we doubt If they have
ever given the simple little iish-hook,
which is responsible for so much en-
joyment thought other than the pur-
pose it was made for. 1t might be
interesting, therefore TO know some
thing OF its origin, and how aud where
it is manufactured. For many years
Brooklyn was the only city in America
where lish-hooks we're made. In fact
to day there is only one other place in
the country Much curious informa-
ton has been presented by different
writers concerning lish-hooks. tracing
their use TO the times of the prophecies
of Amos and to the still more remote
writings of Job, in both of which they
are mentioned, and they cite their use
by the apostles. In Bonn's late edition
of "Walton's Complete Angler" are
described the nice differences of form
and qualities of the Kirby, Limerick,
Kendall, and sneck bend hooks, and
long shanks are recommended for
hooks that are 10 ue dressed with long
bodied flies as the dragon fly, the stone
fly and the SIP der fly, any supernuity
in length being easily nipped of. The
Kirby hook derived its name from IN
ancient family who had become famous
in their manufacture. Charles Kirby
who lived in the time of Charles H.,
acquired from Prince Rupert the art of
tempering, which remained in use in
the family till 1863. A lineal descend
ant of that Charles was then making,
near Aldergate street, London, the
hooks in best repute for shape and
temper. The first Improvement in the
construction of the iish-hook from the
old conventional style was made about
thirty years ago.
Fish-hook making in the United
States was first introduced in Brooklyn
in 1874 by Job johnson, and was
carried on extensively by him until the
year 1867, when the business was turn
ed over to John w. Court Mr.. Court
told reporter some interesting facts
about the manufacture OF the little in
strument.
81 came to this country from the
village of Redditch, in Worcestershire,
England. In that town there are
many fish hook manufacturers, and
when mere boy | started out TO learn
the trade. When had finished came
to Brooklyn and worked for johnson
for time and then l began for myself
| hammered out iish-hooks BY my
hands in humble little shop not far
from here, and continued to do so until
a few years ago, when my inventive
genius forced me to experiment. My
labors were rewarded by the successful
invention of patent automatic fish
hook machine, which makes eighty-tivc
hooks, OF any size, per minute, from
the common wire As fed from a reel.
In olden times the hook had TO be
handled many times before completed.
First the wire was cut to the
right length for the size needed;
then we cut the barb on. and the next
thing was to anneal the hook, then
forget it on drop press, next shear IL
on the same press, then grind the point,
shape it. and after that eye or flute it.
Then the hook was ready for temper
ing. These were all done with hand
machines. came to the conclusion
that it was slow process and invented
the machine have referred TO above,
which combines all of these hand ma
chimes into one. am now at work up
on a machine expressly for trout hooks,
and when completed will turn out
hooks at the rate of $50 per minute.
At the present we make about $4,000
hooks per day, or total OF 24.OOO, 600
per year. The method of the automat-
ic patent machine is about as follows;
The wire is taken from the coil the
same as received from the mill and run
through a revolving Strengthening ma
chine, composed of pieces of steel
screwed in zigzag shape, which acts as
a friction on the wire and straightens
it. Then it is drawn on to a large
wheel five feet in diameter (the process
beng the same as winding cotton on a